The city that never stopped debating.
Discover carefully curated public lectures, author talks, debates and intellectual events in Paris, France — selected by The Mindful City editorial team.
Last updated: September 24, 2026
Leïla Slimani · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Leïla Slimani reads selections from her recent novel and discusses the ethics of storytelling in portraying social taboos. The intimate evening closes with a signing at the booksho…
Yuval Noah Harari · Palais de Tokyo · September 25, 2026
Yuval Noah Harari discusses the cultural and ethical implications of AI and biotechnology in shaping narratives about the future. The talk will be illustrated with examples from li…
Yuval Noah Harari · Centre Pompidou · September 25, 2026
Historian Yuval Noah Harari delivers a public lecture on how emerging technologies are reshaping human institutions and moral frameworks. The talk is followed by a moderated discus…
Mona Eltahawy · Institut du Monde Arabe · September 25, 2026
Journalist and activist Mona Eltahawy discusses the dynamics of women's movements across the Arab world and prospects for political reform. The lecture will be in English with simu…
Hans Ulrich Obrist · Centre Pompidou · September 25, 2026
Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist examines how curatorial practice negotiates politics, public space, and institutional power in the 21st century. He will present case studies from recent…
Judith Butler · Sciences Po (Auditorium Emile Boutmy) · September 25, 2026
Philosopher Judith Butler presents on the intersections of gender theory and contemporary democratic practice. The presentation will be followed by a student-moderated Q&A.
Margaret Atwood · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Margaret Atwood reads from new work and discusses the intersections of fiction, environmental crisis, and imaginative resistance. The event includes a moderated discussion and book…
Margaret Atwood · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Margaret Atwood reads from her forthcoming essays and discusses narrative approaches to ecological crisis. The event includes a short Q&A and a signing session afterwards.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reads from her forthcoming novel and discusses narrative strategies and the politics of storytelling. Attendees will have a short Q&A and a book signing fo…
Leïla Slimani · Institut du Monde Arabe · September 25, 2026
Leïla Slimani discusses themes of migration, language, and motherhood across her fiction and essays in a conversation hosted by the Institut du Monde Arabe. The session situates co…
Leïla Slimani · Bibliothèque nationale de France · September 25, 2026
Leïla Slimani reads selections from her newest work and discusses themes of migration, language, and belonging in contemporary Francophone literature. The session is free and open …
Margaret Atwood · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Margaret Atwood reads from her recent work followed by a moderated conversation about climate, consent, and dystopian futures. The session concludes with a short audience Q&A and b…
Leïla Slimani · Institut du Monde Arabe · September 25, 2026
Leïla Slimani reflects on contemporary Francophone literature, migration, and the politics of storytelling across the Mediterranean. The lecture will be in French with simultaneous…
Zadie Smith · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 25, 2026
Zadie Smith reads from her latest novel and discusses craft, identity, and the role of the novel in contemporary life. The event includes a moderated audience Q&A and a short book …
Leïla Slimani · Institut du Monde Arabe · September 25, 2026
Leïla Slimani explores the intersections between Arabic- and French-language literature and the political contexts that shape contemporary storytelling. The lecture will include ex…
Annie Ernaux · École Normale Supérieure (ENS) · September 28, 2026
Annie Ernaux discusses her approach to memory, testimony, and the boundaries between literature and social history. The session will combine a short reading with an extended dialog…
Thomas Piketty · Sciences Po (Paris) · September 28, 2026
Economist Thomas Piketty discusses recent research on wealth concentration and public policy remedies. A multi-disciplinary panel will join him to debate taxation, education, and r…
Leïla Slimani · Institut du Monde Arabe · September 28, 2026
Leïla Slimani examines the intersections of language, migration, and identity in contemporary Francophone Arab literature. The lecture will be followed by a moderated audience disc…
Paul Krugman · École Normale Supérieure · September 28, 2026
Nobel laureate Paul Krugman discusses international trade, monetary policy, and the economic challenges facing democracies. The lecture is open to the public and will be followed b…
Kazuo Ishiguro · Shakespeare and Company Bookshop · September 28, 2026
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro reads selected passages and discusses the intersection of memory and historical imagination in his work. The intimate evening concludes …